New Changing Places Development Officer

As you may know, at the end of March Mike Le Surf took two months leave as the Changing Places Development Officer and will be back at the beginning of June. Mike had worked on the Changing Places campaign since 2010 and played an integral role in organising the campaign's first national conference and leading activism like our flushmob!

Sophie Keenleyside joins the team after having worked in policy and campaigns for Carers UK and Carers Trust. She is well aware of the need for Changing Places toilets after seeing how the lack of such facilities greatly restricted the places her aunt with Multiple Sclerosis could go and enjoy.

Sophie joins the campaign at an exciting time as the Changing Friendly message is taking off internationally. Campaigns launched by groups in Australia and Ireland are gathering momentum. In the UK, there have been four new Changing Places registered in the four weeks Sophie has been here. If they continue coming in at that pace we'd have 1000 by the end of the year!

Aware that the opening of a new Changing Places is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication from local campaigners, Sophie is keen to build on the success of the recent conference and provide more opportunities for campaigners to support one another. If you would like to share your ideas as to how to support local campaigners, Sophie would love to hear from you and can be reached at: changingplaces@mencap.org.uk